Thesis

The following guidelines are meant to provide the thesis student
and his/her committee with concrete procedures for the initiation
and completion of a Master's thesis.

The Thesis Student

The student must be a degree candidate to register for the
thesis (PSY610).

The student must a) select a research topic, b) select a
thesis committee, and c) write a comprehensive thesis proposal
to be approved by the committee.

The student should select a primary thesis advisor as chair
of the thesis committee whose expertise is close to the chosen
thesis topic.

The thesis should be completed during no more than two semesters,
and can be taken for no more than 6 credits. Students usually
develop thesis topics from the Research Report (PSY600). The
student should sign up for PSY610 only after committee approval
of the thesis proposal.

The thesis proposal should at least include the following
three sections: a) a statement of the problem (including objectives
and/or hypotheses), b) a comprehensive review of the literature,
and c) a methodology section. The proposal must be approved
by the thesis committee and the Department Research Review committee
or University Human Subjects Subcommittee before the student
can begin data collection. A proposal written in APA format
will save much time during the final write up.

After data collection, analysis and write up, the student
will defend the thesis in an oral examination, open to all who
wish to attend. A date for the oral exam will be identified
by the student and thesis committee. The exam date will be published
two weeks prior to the exam, with notices going to the Graduate
Dean, the Dean of Arts and Sciences, the Provost, and Psychology
faculty. Unanimous approval of the thesis by the thesis committee
is necessary for a successful defense.

The completed thesis, including the signed approval sheet,
must be delivered to the library prior to graduation and before
a grade is given for the course.

Additional information regarding thesis requirements is given
in the Appendix of the printed Handbook for the Graduate
Programs in Psychology. This Guide is available from the
Graduate Coordinator and is a must for any thesis student.

Additional information regarding University requirements
for the thesis is given in the "Guide to the Preparation
of the Master's Thesis." This guide is available from
the Graduate Coordinator of the Office of Graduate Studies
and is a "must" for all thesis students.

The Thesis Committee

The thesis committee consists of at least three members,
two of whom must be from the Department of Psychology.

The third member of the committee may be chosen from the
faculty of the University or from outside the University, and
should have some expertise/knowledge about the thesis topic.
The third member must be approved by the two Psychology members.

Thesis committees must be approved by the Dean of Graduate
Studies prior to beginning the thesis. Approval of thesis committee
forms can be obtained from the thesis advisor, the Graduate
Coordinator, or the Office of Graduate Studies.

The thesis advisor serves as the committee chairperson, and
is expected to have major responsibility for guiding the student,
including helping select committee members. The chairperson
must be a member of the Department of Psychology.

The grade for the thesis should be determined by the committee,
and recorded by the advisor.

Any exceptions to the above points must be approved by the
Graduate Committee.